The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1887-06-09
\ SACRED DUTY.
Memorial Day Address of Hon. G.
NJ. Anderson at Arlington.

LADIES GENTLEMEN AND COMRADES: What
sacred duty you come to perform to-day You
come to these historic grounds, made sacred by
being the last resting-pace of 1900 dead
Union soldiers; you come under these bright
skies this beautiful morning of May with all
her vernal freshness; you come with honest
faces, clean hands and pure resolves to decorate
graves which are our pride to-day.
It is not improper on this occasion TO speak
briefly of the causes, sufFerings aud results OF
that awful tragedy that shook the whole hem
isphere from 81 to 80.
Society was organized into two parties ON the
question of slavery the one maintained that
all men were created free and all should enjoy
that blessing; the other branch had been
taught by their traditions, education, customs
and usages that slavery was right. This insti-
tuition was brought to our country by the inn
migrant who brought it with his religion, Ian
guage and customs. 1t was planted on our soil
century and half before our Constitution
was written; it was so strong that our fore
fathers could not form Government free Of
slavery. All the cannon that Numbered at
4 Saratoga and Yorktown could not unshaekle
the hands of a single slave; and in 1860 in this
Doasted land OF free America we found 4,000,-
600 human beings living among us without en-
joying liberty, without flag or country they
could say they had an interest in, and without
being the owners of the product of their own
labor. What an anomaly. This aecursed insti-
tuition was the heritage from all former ages
and people. 1t was instituted originally for
the enrichment and aggrandizement Of Kings
and despots, and was made the hand maiden Of
prlncely robbers from the PharaOhs down.
Those who believed slavery was right neces-
sarily antagonized those who believed it was
wrong. For many years this contest went on;
books and periodicals were written pro and
con, speeches were made, conventions embar-
raised, party lines broken up--the churches
divided. How shall this vexed question be-
solved puzzled Webster, Clay, a Douglas,
Crittenden.
All lovers Of law and peace turned to the
CONSTITUTIONS for a sOlutiOn-it was silent. To
the Legislature for remedy-it was power
less. To the Judiciary-it was dumb. To the
Executive-it was helpless. They appealed to
diplomacy and Compromise but they could
furnish no permanent cure, and only could
postpone the crisis for season.
There was but one solutiOn-that was by ap-
peal to the god War, and let the cause be tried
il bloody BATTLE
No sooner was the tocsin of war sounded at
Sumter than the farmer left his pillow in the
unfinished furrow; the mechanic left his
hammer and plane lie idle on his bench the
lawyer abandoned his brief and office; the
preacher his pulpit; the physician his patient;
the father his family; the son bis school.
Armies of drilled soldiers were organized out
OF peaceful citizens and hurried out to that
conflict so long, fierce and bloody; battles and
engagements were fought that eelipsed the
martial exploits of all former ages; lives were
offered daily by the hundreds or thousands a
| Sacrlhce on the altar OF our country; homes
made desofate; the funeral procession daily
moved through the streets; the midnight
skies made lurid by the flames of burning cit
les and towns; vast regions Of country laid
waste by the devastating hand OF invading
armies.
In the Union army 100000 were Killed, or
lost their lives by disease; as many more Grip
, pied for life. Billions of dollars of war debt
contracted. The long list of suffering in camp
hospital and prisons never can be estimated,
appreciated or known.
This was the cost of maintaining our Consti-
tuition and United SsterhOOd OF States, as
! well as securing to ourselves and posterity a
home for the abode of freemen only.
Among the results, in addition to the above,
} the war annulled the right of secession by q
} decree written in human blood it wiped out
forever the curse of human slavery; it struck
out OF our lexicon the un-American words
! master" and "slave;" it placed our Govern
ment on foundation so solid that it may en-
dure forever.
: Above the din and changer of battle could be
heard that awful voice of the Dread Unknown
issuing his mandate, " The slave shall 90 free"
And through the gloom and smoke of the con-
} iict could be seen the jubilee OF 100000 of
liberated freemen. And after the echoes of
J the last cannon died away among the hills Of
} Virginia, whole people turned to see the Con-
J stitutiOn of their fathers preserved in all its
, integrity, and our beautiful flag made sacred
By baptism in thousand battles, restored
without one star erased, enriehiBg the heavens
as it fOated every foot of our territory the
guarantee of law, peace and liberty. And as
we stand this day overlooking the past we now
see the plan of that Unseen Hand, and ac-
knowledge in full force the words of the poet
That God moves in a mysterious way his
wonders to perform" and makes us exclaim,
with full faith, THAT there is q Divinity that
, shapes our ends, rough hew them how we
will"
The Union army prosecuted war and battled
not for conquest, not to humiliate, nor for sub
Jugation, but for peace, constitutional Suprem-
acy and good government. Nor was the cause
of tine Union army sectional in its character,
for it battled not for the North alone but for
1 North and South alike; for it may be asserted
for truth that the people of the South gained
more by the success Of the Union army than
they would have had in the triumph of their
5 own. The Union army battled that our
! country might be kept on the map of the world
and our flag in heaven" 1t battled for popular
government, indissolubility of our Union Of
States, and the liberty of man. Those who
then were our enemies are now our brethren;
the foe then is friend now; the duty of all,
3 North and South alike is to encourage trade
and commerce between the sections, establish
q closer and better relation with each other to
forget hatreds and animOsities among our peO-
pie, cover the past with charity, preserve the
| fruits of the war as a common heritage for pos
terity; Undue the rising generation to adorn
S the temple of liberty with a better-educated
citizenship, possessed of higher morals, nObler
manhood and lOftier patriotism.
Then come with your flowers and garlands,
with all their fragrance and freshness of Spring,
and bedeck and adorn the graves of these
heroic dead. Bring on your choicest offerings
: and lay upon the bier in gratitude for the
| services, sacrifices and lives they gave that
you might enjoy the privileges and blessing OF
. such glorious country.
Some of them died in the valley and the
wild roses to-day bedeck their graves; some
v fen on the hillside and the wild vines and
arbutus entwine garland over their last rest
ing place; many are buried in grave marked
unknown: they gave all they had, life and
even name, that this country might live, for
they loved it better than their own lives.
Are these men dead? They who speak TO all
5 the lovers of liberty under the sun, aud with q
e universal language2 Are they dead who move
t society to patriotism and love of eOuntry2
If he is dead to the family, he lives to tho
whole Union.
If he is dead to brother and sister, he lives
to every generous youth in the land.
These headstOnes dOtting the National Gene
teries of this country are punctuation points
{ | in the volume of patriotism.
IL,